Tag Archives: Shake Shack

Today, there are plenty of places in Westport to buy great hamburgers. From Matt Storch’s Burger Lobster in Saugatuck to Shake Shack near Southport, we’re awash in meat.

Once upon a time, there were 2 places to go: Big Top, and Chubby Lane’s.

Big Top — which drew a great lunchtime crowd ranging from lawyers to bikers — was at the corner of the Post Road and Roseville. Today it’s McDonald’s, which basically says everything you need to know about America.

Chubby’s, meanwhile, was more of a dinner place. It was located next to the New Englander Motel (now the Westport Inn). Across the street was Charpentier’s (now Border Grill), a butcher shop that was the reason Chubby’s burgers were so good. (They were also the first place in town that charged the astronomical price of $1 for one.)

I don’t have any photos of Chubby Lane’s. Long ago, it was replaced by the Willows Pediatrics Group. But its predecessor was called the Bantam. And it looked like this:

It’s official: Walgreens is closing its longtime HomeGoods shopping center location (opposite Shake Shack). A source says that employees have been told they will be retained, but they have not been told where.

Walgreens has a 2nd Westport location, just a couple of miles away across from the Sherwood Diner.

The company — the largest drug retailing chain in the US, with over 8,000 stores — recently abandoned plans to build a new facility just over the Southport line. Neighbors had filed a legal challenge with Fairfield’s Plan and Zoning Commission.

Before it was Walgreens, the HomeGoods plaza site was occupied by MediMart.

Meanwhile, the most important question is: Why is Walgreens’ logo red?

Oaxaca was in business for a bit over a year. It succeeded Thali, an Indian restaurant. For a long time before that, it was the pan-Asian TaiPan.

Compo Shopping Center — across the Post Road — is reflected in the glass door of Oaxaca. A simple sign announces the news.

The dining scene in Westport constantly changes. 323 opened recently — after many delays — to good reviews, in the spot formerly occupied by Bogey’s.

Shake Shack has stabilized the location that for years saw an ever-changing cast of cuisines. Everything was there, from a steak chain to Mongolian.

Some places — like the corner of Post Road and Myrtle Avenue — evolve from restaurants (Glynn’s, etc.) to commercial uses (it’s now a real estate office). Others go the opposite way: 5 Guys spent years as a Western Auto, before morphing into a girls’ clothing store.

The New York-based chain is right there at #16 — nestled between Seattle’s The Walrus and the Carpenter (?!) and Austin’s Franklin Barbecue. #1 is Momofuku.

A summer’s night, at a very important restaurant.

The magazine notes that these are not the nation’s best restaurants. They’re the ones that “define how we eat out.”

Here, Bon Appetit-ically speaking, is how we eat out at Shake Shack:

Danny Meyer didn’t just redefine the fast-food experience — the meal, the look, the level of service — he created a damn good burger. With its custom-blend patty (and nostalgic nods like gooey American cheese and a soft bun), it is a burger worth standing in line for—and you will likely have to, for up to an hour.

The Shack Burger

Like all fast-food chains, consistency is king, but here that means beef supplied by meat guru Pat La Frieda; cool, urban-chic spaces by architecture firm SITE; and a definitive menu, though they do tailor the “concretes” (frozen custard with mix-ins) to each location. (We’ll have the “Fudge-eddaboudit.”)

In under a decade, they’ve grown to 22 locations, from NYC to Dubai. Look for 5 more in 2013, including Istanbul.

Right now, there are only 2 Shake Shacks in Connecticut. Ours opened in 2011; New Haven followed last year.

This coming Sunday’s New York Times Magazine has a loooong article on Shake Shack (and many other restaurants) owner/legend Danny Meyer.

There’s no specific mention of Westport in the text — beyond an anecdote from last March, when he told an industry crowd about his plans for a Connecticut restaurant to “huge applause” — but there is a nice photo of him addressing new hires.

It’s a popular parlor game: trying to name all the places that once tried to do business at the site of the soon-to-open Shake Shack (across from the now-closed Toys R Us).

Perhaps the 98th time is the charm? (Photo courtesy of Westport Patch)

Most recently it was Pho Mekong, a Vietnamese place. In previous incarnations it was a Mongolian restaurant, a seafood spot, a Beefsteak Charlie’s — or was it Steak & Brew? The mind boggles.

“06880” — and the readers who frequently ask me to remember all the long-closed restaurants — are not the only interested parties.

Here’s a request from Dave Yearwood, Shake Shack general manager:

Does anyone know what was at the new Shake Shack site at 1849 Post Rd East, Westport? We are trying to find out if there was a business, farm or house on the property before the 1950’s, turn of the century, etc.

We know that Old Sasco Mill was on one side, and the other side was the Benjamin F. Bulkley House. However, we are not sure if our space was once a part of either of those properties. Please let me know: dyearwood@shakeshack.com

Thanks.

If you’ve got photos, I’m sure Dave would love to have them. And please copy “06880” — I’d also like an answer to this very popular question.